


Free Falling

by UglyJackal



Series: Final Fantasy Shenanigans [11]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Falling In Love, Feelings, M/M, catching feelings, lots and lots of feelings, still not over when urianger took off his veil in the wod arc, you were not meant to be hot sir exCUSE ME
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-23
Updated: 2019-08-23
Packaged: 2020-09-24 18:29:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20363095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UglyJackal/pseuds/UglyJackal
Summary: Jack had already harboured feelings for the elezen scholar since the day they were introduced to one another, since their names had first crossed each other’s lips.





	Free Falling

It was hard after the business with the Warriors of Darkness. Jack had already harboured feelings for the elezen scholar since the day they were introduced to one another, since their names had first crossed each other’s lips. They had shared many a pleasant moment together, most notably when Jack had rocked the breaking man to sleep after the death of Moenbryda. They were close, despite the fact that Urianger had never shown the hrothgar his face. 

And then he had pulled away the black veil that covered his mouth, he had pulled away that final mask, though he had quickly put it back on after the ordeal, and, by the Twelve, Jack had been unable to look at him after that first glimpse. The first glimpse that had allowed him to drink in everything, from the sharp point of his chin to the gleaming golden eyes, as sharp as any sword, as gold as any god. He was, in a word, beautiful. And though his friends had shared some grievances with his choice of beard styling, Jack could not help but find it endearing. It suited him in a way that he could not describe. 

But alas, the issue lay beyond the grave, at Moenbryda’s feet. Though he wished not to speak ill of the dead, he could not help his stomach broiling with poisonous green jealousy, the sharp teeth gnawing, gruesome lips baring, deathly claws striking, clubbed tail swaying. He still saw the feelings that Urianger held for her, though it had been more than a year since her passing. And that hurt in a way that it really should not have.

It felt, for all the world, as though he had lost a lover before had yet had a chance to gain his affections. He had spoken long and hard with Cid about it, not wishing to keep secrets from him, especially secrets as weighty as these. Cid has admitted that, while he did not have many dealings with the elezen, he could not deny his charm. 

‘If you truly feel for him as strongly as you say that you do,’ the engineer had told him, hands cupping his jaw, ‘then I shall not argue with you pursuing him.’

‘Are you saying that I break up with you to date Urianger instead?’ Jack had asked, jaws of panic gripping his voice.

‘Of course not, love! I couldn’t give you up for the world,’ Cid chuckled. ‘No, I am saying that he dates the both of us.’

‘I would like that.’

And so, Jack had been wrestling with the idea of starting a polyamorous relationship with both Cid and Urianger. Which would have been fine had he not felt like hiding his feelings would be fairer to the elezen’s heart.

It scared him; the idea that he could lose Urianger if this affectionate secret got out. The idea that the scholar would look at Jack, mouth pulled into a frown, and shake his head when the hrothgar offered his heart would break him in ways he did not know he could break. He had never been good with relationships or feelings. His courting of Cid had been largely an accident, with a stare that lasted a little too long and a smile that was a little too friendly.

But Urianger was…  _ different _ . He was the delicate flower with a fragile stem, where Cid had been a robust hunk of metal with lingering eyes and a confident mouth. The scholar held pain in his hands and buried it deep down inside. He had been savaged by the drooling teeth of a great black dragon with red fire nestled in the jewel of its eyes, but he had refused the help from those around him. And though Jack could see the agony that was  _ begging _ to be released, Urianger insisted on keeping his heart locked tight; he refused to release his acidic grief on the plantation and life around him, worried of the damage it would cause, the withering that would be suffered.

But Jack could also see that keeping his wound to himself was hurting Urianger more. His injury was infected, burning at the corners of his flesh, ripping at his bones and tearing at his muscles. The raging globe of fire that contaminated his insides was only getting worse with each passing day without a second party to help dampen it.

How desperately Jack wanted to be that person. He knew that he would be able to bring water to Urianger’s painful fire. If only he could allow himself to tell the elezen this.

But when he looked at Urianger, his silver grey hair lit up at the tips by the moonlight, his eyes glowing suns even in the darkness, he could only think how unworthy he was of even a second glance.

He could only think that he was not Moenbryda.

And so, once more, he resigned himself to his silent fate.


End file.
